Mothers-In-Law Who Turned Out To Be Living Nightmares

Mothers-In-Law

No matter how hard we try, we cannot choose our family or our in-laws.

It’s no secret that mothers-in-law can be the worst, oftentimes trying to drive a wedge between their sons and daughters-in-law.

Mothers-in-law from hell have dealt a raw deal to the people listed below.

Mommy’s Boy

In 2006, my former mother-in-law screamed at me in my own driveway, “My son is your children’s father and you can’t change that.”. In the meantime, her worthless, addict of a son literally hid behind her. Hearing my children call him “dad” set her off.

We never taught my girls to call him “dad”, they just started doing it because her son only saw the girls four or five times a year. I couldn’t believe that this awful man literally had to have his mommy fight his battles for him.

Now I have the most amazing, kind-hearted man who loves my girls as much as he loves me. When he proposed he said, “Those girls deserve a dad and I want to be one.”

That was the last time she saw my children. No longer did I call her son or answer her phone calls. That fall, my fiancé and I got married. In the days following Christmas, we filed the adoption papers. There was no contest from my ex. He didn’t even show up to court.

It would be best if the mother-in-law in the next story stopped snooping around in other people’s homes.

Showing Up Unannounced

She likes to gossip behind other people’s backs, and she’s an idiot. Unannounced, she showed up at our house and let herself in.

I wasn’t in the mood, so when she showed up, I went out and tinkered around in my shed. She began snooping around our house and saw a piece of equipment in the cabinet under my aquarium and assumed that it was some sort of “intimate” parts enlarger. What the heck! She then told my wife that I was hiding a weird side of myself from her.

She then got my “pump” out of the cabinet and showed it to my wife. My wife nearly peed her pants when she realized it was aquarium equipment, but she kept her composure and yelled for me to come back in.

As soon as I stepped back into the house, my mother-in-law asked me why I needed the “sick device”. Having calmly explained what it was, I suggested that she should be concerned about her own life. When she noticed my wife laughing, she stormed out of the house.

The mother-in-law in this next story should learn to stop talking about people behind their backs.

Behind My Back

I was out shopping with my partner, and he wandered off to look at something else to avoid the makeup counter. As someone who hadn’t been to the makeup section in a while, I was excited and drooled all over their makeup.

I felt as if someone was watching me. Since there were no store attendants nearby, I was very aware that I was alone. Looking over, I spotted my mother-in-law staring at me and giving me a dirty look.

We don’t get along. She looks down on my teaching job, and she thinks I’m vain for wearing makeup. I’ve been called a makeup-wearing hussy behind my back. As I was looking at their makeup and skincare products, she walked over to say hello.

We greeted each other and then she asked, “Buying more makeup?” “Yes,” I replied. “Apparently I have a reputation as a hussy to uphold.” I watched as her face dropped in horror. She knew that someone had been telling me everything she was saying about me behind my back. It felt great, and I walked away with a smile on my face.

In the next story, the mother-in-law used her money to control her son.

No Children

We don’t want to have children despite my mother-in-law’s wishes. The news of my husband’s vasectomy finally silenced her, and her subsequent interactions have been only mildly irritating.

That is, until now. I was told yesterday by my mother-in-law that she had purchased a burial plot for her and my father-in-law, and she was pre-planning a funeral. She then told me that they wanted to start working on their long-term medical requests and power of attorney documents. These are all good things! But then she starts to tell us about her estate. My father-in-law tries to change the subject, but no, she insisted that we had to talk about this as a family.

She got this smug look on her face and then went on about how their estate would be divided up. Basically, my husband would barely get anything because we “don’t have children, and the money is to support their family line.” We had the perfect response.

The look on her face when my husband and I nodded approvingly at this was priceless. I think she wanted us to either fight back or cry and make a scene or beg her for money.

The son in the next story was beyond embarrassed when his parents came to visit.

A Quick Visit

This is literally happening as I type this. I’m at work until 2:30, and my boyfriend is currently at home. His mom sent a text to let him know that she and my father-in-law are going to stop by at 2:00 and bring lunch.

He immediately sent me a text that read: “BABE THE STRIPPER POLE!!!!” I was laughing hysterically, imagining the horror on his parents’ faces when they walked in and saw my shiny, beautiful stripper pole.

It’s important to note that they are extremely religious. Like, they are the worst kind of Christian! I have nothing against Christians, but I don’t like extremists of any form, and they use their faith to hurt people.

I responded with: “Screw it, it’s our house. They’ll have to live with it.”

The mother-in-law in the next story was too selfish to tell her family to come another time.

A Sickening Christmas

I’ve always had a tough relationship with my mother-in-law, but this year, I was so angry. We drove to my in-laws for four hours on Saturday, so that we could see them for Christmas. We were only going to stay for one night and then head back home. We don’t see them often, mainly because of my job as an OB/GYN.

My kids greeted my mother-in-law with hugs and kisses, then my husband asked where his dad was. My mother-in-law responded, “Oh, we have both not been feeling well. We’ve had vomiting and diarrhea for two days. He’s in the bathroom.” My husband: “Did you guys eat something bad?” Mother-in-law: “No. Everyone has been sick at the office!”

Me: “How could you knowingly expose us to something like that? It’s Christmas! And you know I work with newborns and pregnant women!” Mother-in-law: “Well if I would have told you…you wouldn’t have come to visit.” I was astonished by her response, my mouth just fell open. Then, my husband asked what if her grandchildren got sick.

Her: “They’ll be fine!” Skip a few days, on Christmas Eve, I was up all night with my children, throwing up. We are all sick because of them.

The next mother-in-law decided to act like one of the kids at her grandchild’s birthday party.

Fussy Mother-In-Law

My mother-in-law showed up to a birthday party for our 4- and 5-year-old children and then threw a fit over the food that was being served.

She asked us what the nacho cheese was made of, and I responded that it was a “big can of cheese.”

She made me dig the can out of the trash so I could tell her what was in it. I refused. I told her if she wanted to dig through the trash she could. She sulked and refused to eat any of the food.

The mother-in-law in the next story sent a huge bill over an accident involving a chair.

An Accident

During a recent trip to my husband’s parents’ house, I cracked an outdoor chair when I sat down. I kept telling them how sorry I was, and everyone said that it was okay, because accidents happen.

It won’t surprise you to hear that everything wasn’t fine in my mother-in-law’s eyes.

She sent my husband an invoice for $200 for the chair. Due to her belief that I couldn’t afford to replace her expensive chair, she didn’t send the invoice to me.

In the end, I chose to let my mother-in-law know that I wouldn’t be returning to her home (I wouldn’t want to break something else!), but my husband could do whatever he wanted.

In the next story, the mother-in-law learned the hard way not to gossip about her own family.

A Lot To Say

My mother- and father-in-law are staying with us for a week. I’ve never had to stay with her before. Even though I don’t particularly like her, I stay civil for my husband’s sake.

But in the last week, she’s made my blood boil. I can put some of it aside as lifestyle differences. Among other things, she rearranged my kitchen and threw out some of my things.

Just seconds ago, she was complaining about me to my husband and whispering about me. There isn’t a lot of space in our two-bedroom apartment.

Even my husband thinks that his parents are overbearing. Anyway, I walked outside and offered my mother-in-law some tea.

Then I told her she must be thirsty after all that talking. She got all embarrassed and said that I wasn’t supposed to hear that. I told her that my home wasn’t the place for private conversations. That was as passive-aggressive as I could be with a smile on my face.

In the next story, the mother-in-law learned not to buy expensive gifts for her grandchild without their permission.

Expensive Gifts

My mother-in-law gave our six-year-old daughter a smartphone with a sim and internet access. She did not discuss this with anyone and gave it to her when we weren’t around on Christmas day.”And why?

“Because your wife doesn’t answer hers…” he continued. Ohh, the audacity of this woman! You just know she’s been plotting this gift for a while, all so she could deliver that zinger of a statement.

The only good thing about this situation is that this manipulative mother-in-law had to cough up a lot of money to be this passive-aggressive.

Not only does this dad have an out-of-line adult to deal with, but he now also has to explain to his daughter why she can’t have a phone.

The mother-in-law in the next story just couldn’t believe that little girls and boys could be equal.

Play Kitchen Nightmare

My mother-in-law had a horrible reaction when we told her we were getting her grandson a play kitchen for Christmas.

“Her tone immediately changed. She goes ‘a WHAT?’ in a really disgusted tone. ‘A play kitchen? And some toy food?’ ‘Why did you get him that? He’s a boy.’’”

As if it couldn’t get any worse, she solidly confirmed her horrible stance. “My mother-in-law, almost in screeching hysterics at this point, ‘get him a workbench or something! Why would you get him a KITCHEN?’”

And there it is. She seems to live in this 1950s outdated mindset that only women belong in the kitchen, so only girls should play with kitchens … can you imagine a (*gasp!*) man being in the kitchen?! So obviously, you can’t let little boys play in the kitchen either.

Luckily, passive aggression is my specialty. I plan on posting a ton of pics of my son playing in his brand-new kitchen first thing Christmas morning.

The next story is about a mother-in-law who didn’t want to be left out.

The Sleepover

I’m a mom-to-be, and it was “non-negotiable” that my mom lives with me after I give birth. My mother-in-law got wind of that and hopped right on board.

While we were telling both our families the good news, it was brought up to my mother-in-law that my mother would be staying with us for over three months right after the baby was born.

My mother-in-law then expressed her wish to also be allowed to stay with us right after the baby is born. I told her that after my mom leaves she is more than welcome to come and stay with us, but only AFTER my mom leaves.”
She felt like that decision was “unfair” and proposed that she sleep on the couch as a compromise.

We stood by our decision and let her know again that she was welcome to say after my mom left. She eventually accepted it but was not happy.

The woman in the next story believed she wanted to choose who could be in the delivery room with her. It caused lots of problems.

Delivery Room Dilemma

When I had our first baby, my mom stayed in the delivery room with us. Now that I’m having our second child, my husband believes that it’s his mom’s turn to be in the delivery room.

He mentioned that since I got to choose who was in the delivery room last time he should get to choose who gets to be inside the room this time. I told him he was insane if he thought I would let his mother see me in extreme pain.

He got upset, left the house and she hasn’t heard from him since. I’m honestly kind of freaking out both from stress and guilt. I’m worried that my husband isn’t okay but I also can’t help but feel guilty that I drove him away.

The mother-in-law in the next story said something unforgivable.

Only One Grandma

I just found out I’m pregnant, and I’m excited, as is my soon-to-be husband. We plan on announcing it at our wedding after I reach the point where it’s unlikely for me to lose it.

But we told our moms because if a miscarriage did happen, I would want the love and support from my mom. However, I felt guilty just telling her, so we told my mother-in-law too.

My mom had the reaction I wanted. Tears and kisses and belly rubs. Then it took a dark turn. My mother-in-law stared at us and said, “Well what are you going to do?” Um, what do you mean what are we going to do? “There are no clinics around us.” Clinics for what?

“To get rid of it!” Why would we get rid of it? “Well, you can’t be pregnant before marriage.

Tons of people are happy and healthy with kids before marriage. “Well yeah, but it’s bad luck to get married while pregnant. You’ll be too fat for your dress.”

It went on like that for a while before I got sick of it and left. My husband is furious that he wasn’t there to stop her, but guess who lost grandma’s privileges?

The mother-in-law in the next story could learn a thing or two about respect.

Hit And Miss

I just got married last Saturday and my husband and I decided to have dinner with our in-laws the Monday after. Big mistake. We were still on the high of being married so we thought it was a good idea.

My mother-in-law opened the door, and I’m in a sundress with my normal hair and makeup. She looks me up and down and says, “Wow…you sure looked much, much prettier 48 hours ago…”

To which I replied, “Geez, thanks. So did you!” My husband and father-in-law burst out laughing, and cue that awful scowl look mothers-in-law love to give and I feel very satisfied with myself.

The in-laws in the next story should learn to just mind their own business.

Playing Dress Up

Ever since our oldest was two [my husband] has been more than willing to dress up as a princess and have tea parties with her. It’s my daughter’s favorite thing to do with her dad and he owns so many of those costumes now.

So, as one does, she posted a cute pic to social media — and that’s when the trouble started. My in-laws “accused me of humiliating my husband and of treating him like a woman vs the man that he is.” Seriously?!

But it didn’t stop at social media. My mother-in-law then pulled me up over it a week ago saying that Chris is a man, and boys/men do not wear dresses and wear makeup, that the girls are going to see him as their mother someday, and that he is going to be shamed publicly.

She told me I should never have broadcast those photos and I am teaching my daughters some pretty ‘sketchy’ things about gender and the roles everyone plays in families.

The mother-in-law in the next story wasn’t even present for something important that she wanted to do. It did not go well.

Adult Tantrums

I didn’t particularly want my mother-in-law in the delivery room for the birth of our baby. My husband tried to make a deal: he’d keep his mom out of the delivery as long as she could be the first to hold the baby.

Not knowing what to say, I didn’t agree but didn’t disagree as well.

When the big day came, my mother-in-law was absent from the delivery room. Problem was, she was also absent from town. She was attending a friend’s daughter’s wedding and wouldn’t be back ’til two days later.

It only stands to reason that she could not in fact be the first to hold the baby. Since my mom and sister were right there and able to help, they got dibs. Reasonable, right? Well, not in my mother-in-law’s eyes – or her husband’s. They both went off saying that I betrayed her.

He blew up at me saying I screwed up. I said that mom and sister were HELPING me out. He got pissed and claimed I had no respect for his mom and her wishes and told me that I hurt her feelings and ruined her grandbaby’s birth memory.

The mother-in-law in the next story took her nastiness to the grave.

Adoption Drama

She wasn’t very nice and basically told us to our faces that she would never allow an adopted child into her family.

Even though we couldn’t afford to adopt, we were saving every last penny. We are going to adopt no matter what.

When she passed away from illness, we inherited some money. We used her money to adopt our precious child and her family now loves our daughter.

The mother-in-law in the next story is meddling in her daughter-in-law’s life too much.

Call Me, Maybe

My MIL is Irish. Her son(s) can do no wrong, but I get told nearly every day about all the stuff that I do wrong!

She once called and said in the same sentence – you’re cooking is too fancy, you need to make it more simple, but when you make that roast chicken call me because that’s my favorite.

This coming from someone who takes a perfectly good piece of meat and boils the taste out of it, so it wasn’t that surprising.

The woman in the next story was shocked to learn that her mother-in-law announced some news that was not supposed to be announced yet.

Facebook Fraud

My mother-in-law wanted to share the news of our pregnancy on Facebook. We had not expected the pregnancy and weren’t sure if they were going to go through with it, so understandably — didn’t want the news to get out.

So, instead, my mother-in-law logged into my husband’s Facebook account and broke the news to everyone. I was floored. I called her and she said she figured if she made the announcement using one of our social media accounts then we won’t mind and it’d still look like we made the announcement.

But as I stated earlier, we’re still trying to make a decision. I lost my temper and started yelling, which made her cry.

My husband didn’t back me up, despite the fact that I explained to him that she had violated our privacy.

The person in the next story is faced with a cringey situation.

Who’s Going To Tell Her?

My boyfriend’s mom and dad helped us move into our new place, and she put all of my BF’s stuff (clothes, books, etc.) in one bedroom and all of mine in another.

Then, genuinely confused, she asked why we had only brought one bed in the moving truck and asked if we had ordered another one for him.

No one had the heart to tell her.

The woman in the next story just ignored her mother-in-law who threw a massive tantrum on her wedding day.

Cake Topper Tantrum

My ex-mother-in-law threw a screaming fit right before my wedding started because I had forgotten the crystal cake topper that she had purchased.

I believe the line “that f word and b word did this ON PURPOSE to embarrass me!” was the one that rang out the loudest once people were stunned into silence by her behavior.

Sadly, this is one of many many many stories about that awful woman.

The woman in the next story had the rudest mother-in-law to ever walk the earth.

Glass Goblin

At my engagement party, my grandmother (who grew up very poor and is just not into “fancy” stuff) got us engraved Mikasa crystal champagne flutes. They were pretty and understated and exactly what I like.

Mother-in-law gets up while I am still saying thank yous and says “those will be nice for the rehearsal dinner, but you are going to insist on using these for the wedding” and hands me a box to unwrap. ‘

Inside are the gaudiest Waterford goblets ever. My grandmother was embarrassed. I just said, “Actually, since you are doing the rehearsal dinner, we will use yours for that and grandmas for the wedding.” End of story.

The mother-in-law in the next story didn’t care that her son got sick and almost because of her.

Contagion

My ex-husband got shingles and had a bad case, which progressed into post-herpetic neuralgia.

It cost us a fortune because he couldn’t work, and fairly ruined our lives for a year…

He finally started to get better and we went to Passover at his mother’s house and his aunt showed up with SHINGLES which his mother KNEW ABOUT!!!!!!! I almost murdered her.

The mother-in-law in the next story basically stole from her own son.

Deceived

My husband and I had been saving up to take a long road trip together.

About a week before we were set to leave, he tells me that his mom spent hours crying to him about how much debt she had and that she may have to add a second mortgage to the house, sell precious family heirlooms, etc.

So, being a good son, he decided to give her most of his road trip money. I was understanding and we agreed to put the trip on hold so he could save more.

A few days later, I visited his mom and she showed me this huge elaborate ceramic water fountain she had bought the day before for her garden. It was ridiculous.

I muttered something like, “Must have been expensive.” She patted me on the shoulder and said, “Road trips are dangerous. It’s better this way.”

The woman in the next story was handed something strange at the dinner table.

Undercover Underwear

My boyfriend’s(now husband) mom came up to me at dinner at her house one night and handed me something. It was a pair of cotton ladies’ underwear. I dropped them immediately and said those aren’t mine. They weren’t mine.

She handed me a pair of underwear in the middle of dinner because she found them in her laundry. My bf lives with his parents. It turns out they were his sister’s who accidentally left them when she came for a visit.

Even if they were mine, why on earth would I leave them lying around??? And why on earth would she hand them to me in the middle of dinner???

The guy in the next story was so traumatized after having dinner with his future mother-in-law.

Don’t Do It

Two weeks before our wedding, my future mother-in-law asked me out to dinner. So we’re sitting there having finished eating and she then suddenly asks me to abandon the marriage.

In fact, she said that he will buy me a car if I give it up right now.

She went on to say that since I’ll be a doctor someday that I’ll meet lots of cute nurses along the way. I have to admit that I lost man points after the dinner because I cried to my fiance. I was so offended.

The person in the next story would want to think twice before inviting their mother-in-law to stay over again.

The Busybody

My mother-in-law is EXTREMELY nosey. She loves to do our laundry and clean our house.. Nice right? Yeah but it depends on how you would define that, I have a clean room but she goes through ALL my drawers, socks, underwear, bras, You name it she has gone through it.

She folds everything nicely and neatly, whereas I usually just jam everything in. She then goes through my walk-in closet and organizes everything by color…I once said out loud in the kitchen, I’m gonna wear that little purple sweater coverall, and she tells me what coverall, you don’t have any purple coveralls?..

WTH. OMG. She also goes through all my suitcases where I store personal items (in my closet).. yeah I cried when I noticed everything was back in its original packaging.

Yes. I didn’t lock it because who in their right mind would go through other people’s suitcases in their closets? She doesn’t live with us, she just visits us for long periods of time during the summer, winter, fall, and spring.

The mother-in-law in the next story was just asking unnecessary questions.

Unnecessary Comments

We were driving somewhere with my in-laws and my mother-in-law asked me, “Why would you get a tattoo? It’s so unprofessional” to which I replied, “Because I like it” trying not to be adversarial and just get along.

She responds, “That’s not an adult answer! What kind of silly answer is that?”

Having had enough at this point, I say “You want an adult answer? Okay, I’m an adult and I don’t have to clear anything with anyone up to and including you. Satisfied now?

The old man just snickers under his breath. She didn’t speak to me for days.

The woman in the next story can be glad she is no longer involved with this mother-in-law.

Home Decorator

My mother-in-law decided to decorate my house while I was away taking care of my mom who was ill. Mind you, my house was already decorated. I collect antiques.

I came home to find that she had put up Hallmark store decorations. The kicker was that she took all my dishes and put them in one set of cupboards and then bought her precious son his own set from Walmart and put them in their own special cupboard.

I am no longer married to her son. Also, she went over to his house when his former wife was not home and stole her diary and other personal papers. She kept them in her safe “just in case”.

Disclaimer: In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.